This chicken stir fry with noodles is a survival essential.
Why?
Because, not only does it taste uh-MAZING, but it’s quick to cook, AND it’s super forgiving: you can make a ton of substitutions and it’ll still taste great.
That’s pretty much the trifecta right there.
I don’t know about you guys, but I saw this tweet floating around the internet and could not agree more:
we are entering an era of unprecedented recipe substitutions
— Shay Spence (@chezspence) March 19, 2020
So now, I feel like it’s my civic duty to provide you with a recipe that can handle all of the substitutions you can throw at it.
Enter this chicken stir fry with noodles:
This recipe is kind of like my chilli cheese toast recipe, because you can put your own spin on it and swap out ingredients based on your own preferences.
Use whatever protein you like: chicken, beef, tofu, whatever you have on hand. You can even skip the protein and just use the veggies.
Speaking of the veggies — use fresh, frozen or canned. Don’t worry about using the exact combo I did, use whatever you got.
Don’t have the sauces I used? Experiment with whatever you’ve got in your pantry. Throw some Worcestershire sauce in there or Peri Peri.
Use any kind of noodles you have: egg noodles, rice noodles, ramen noodles, spaghetti noodles, it’s all good, my friend!
Listen y’all, sometimes it’s not about making Pinterest-perfect meals. Sometimes, you just gotta tighten up your apron strings and Make. It. Work. (By the way, I totally punctuated that sentence by doing a Brooklyn Girl snap after each word. Can you hear it?)
Aight enough with the chit chat, let’s get started!
Mise En Place for the Chicken Stir Fry with Noodles
Don’t worry, there’s nothing too fancy for you to do, “Mise En Place” is a French term that means “everything in its place.” In the culinary world, it means having all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking.
You know how, when you’re watching a cooking show, the chef usually has everything already measured out, peeled, cut etc. in little bowls so that all they have to do is drop it in the pan? That’s basically what I’m talking about.
For this recipe, it’s a good idea to cook mise en place because it cooks very quickly. Having everything ready beforehand prevents your ingredients from overcooking or burning while you fumble around your kitchen looking for the oyster sauce.
Unfortunately, I speak from experience.
The Perfect “Back Pocket” Recipe
I don’t necessarily mean that you should print this recipe out and carry it around in your back pocket (’cause that would be weird…) but it’s definitely a recipe that comes in handy for a lot of situations.
I’ve had a lot of surprise guests come over for tea/lunch, and this recipe works great for those situations because it cooks so fast and looks so impressive. (If I’m expecting a few people I make this, if I’m expecting an entire family of people, I make my Quick Fix Chinese Pasta.)
This stir fry is also great for those nights you’re really craving Chinese food but can’t go out (oh, you know, because there’s a global pandemic and you’re quarantining for the good of humanity.)
Make this for dinner tonight and let me know how it turned out. Were you able to make it as is, or did you need to substitute?
Chicken Stir Fry with Noodles
This Chicken Stir Fry with Noodles cooks fast and can easily be adapted to suit whatever you have in your pantry. Tastes just like Chinese takeout!
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz boxes Egg noodles
- 1/2 cup Canola Oil (plus one tbsp for noodles)
- 2 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 whole green chili chopped
- 500 g boneless chicken cut in strips
- 180 g onion (2 medium) chopped
- 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables
- 200 g green bell pepper (2 large) sliced
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt (plus one tbsp for noodles)
- 2 spring onions sliced
Instructions
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Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a tbsp of salt and a tbsp of oil. Add noodles, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking until cooked to al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
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In a large saucepan or wok, heat oil. Add garlic paste and fry until the raw smell of the garlic goes away (~30 seconds).
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Add chopped green chili, then chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes.
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Add chopped onions, cook until translucent.
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Add mixed vegetables, cook for one minute.
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Add green bell pepper, cook until all vegetables are tender.
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Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, spring onion (save some for garnishing later) and noodles. Stir fry for 1 minute to incorporate everything.
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Empty into serving dish, garnish with spring onion. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
Silicone tongs really help to cook and serve the noodles.
Ghulam Mohyudin
Good to know that works too! I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
Rebecca
Thank you for the support!